Thursday, December 18, 2008

local news update & next steps

We just received word that the local NBC Channel 10 'Green Rehab' segment should be airing either next Wednesday, December 24th or the following Wednesday, the 31st. We will be posting a copy on the blog, so don't worry if you miss it.

This week we've been continually trying to get PGW to turn on the gas, which has required calling them numerous times. Supposedly the foreman has us on the schedule today (third time this week) to install the meter. Hopefully, today is the day and we'll have some heat!

As soon as all the drywall is mudded and taped and the systems are operational, our contract with Merlin, our GC, will basically end. He'll turn the house over to us to wrap up, as our plan has been to handle purchasing & installing most of the finishes and fixtures ourselves to save money. We will retain Merlin to help us occasionally, as his expertise and advice will be essential in the areas where our experience is lacking. I'll feel much better having him and/or his subs close by when it comes time to install the plumbing fixtures (something we've never done before) and a number of other items. Toilets are one thing you definitely want to get right the first time!

Over the holidays, Merlin's coworker, Nate, will be prepping the drywall openings and pre-cutting most of the trim for the doors and windows. After we get back into town, our first task will be to begin installing the trim around all of the openings. The baseboards won't go in until after the bamboo floors are laid. Our trim detail is going to require quite a bit of work as we are going with what is sometimes called a "museum trim" detail - where the trim board is actually flush with the drywall (opposed to being applied on top of it) and there is a 1/4" reveal where the edge of the trim meets the edge of the drywall. If this sounds confusing, no worries...we will explain this later in more detail.

Bill Curran is now fabricating our steel stair and is set to install before New Year's. This will be quite a milestone and we'll be sure to post before/after and progress photos.

We also have some exciting developments to share related to Southern Liberties branching off into the realm of custom furniture design and fabrication. We'll share more about that in January.

This blog documents the renovation of our personal residence, a 100-yr. old rowhouse in Philadelphia. We learned so much along the way that we wanted to share our experience and research with others.

We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at info[at]solibs.com or visit our company website: solibs.com.

Photos of the house

Project Specs

The original two-story house was 900 SF without a functional kitchen, plumbing that barely worked, and significant roof damage. It was essentially a liveable shell, but it had solid bones and plenty of potential.

We gutted the entire house while salvaging & recycling as much as possible along the way. By adding a third floor and extending the house at the rear, we'll ultimately have 1,850 SF with 3 BR/2.5 BA/Study, as well as a full unfinished basement for storage.

The project is currently registered with the USGBC and is pursuing LEED for Homes Platinum certification.To see Floor Plansand Elevations of the project, see the Wednesday, May 7th blog post.

We have successfully installed a stormwater planter in front of Montrose Green. And what exactly is a "stormwater planter", you as...

Bench Dog Design

Bench Dog Design is the creative team behind the design & fabrication of several key features of Montrose Green including the stair treads, bartop, vanity cabinet, wall surfacing, outdoor bench, and roof access ladder. All of these elements were made from locally salvaged wood and fabricated in Bench Dog's own Philadelphia workshop.

Open House Party - 7/11

A big thank you to the nearly 300 people who joined us on 7/11 to tour the house! For those who missed the big event, check out the upcoming Open House schedule above. Click the image above to see a slideshow of photos from the party!